So I have been playing ... (99). Vacation in Gorky 17 continues and concludes!

Once I began a proper playthrough (pardon, Vacation Log!) of Gorky 17, the whole process didn't actually take that long. In fact, I'd already completed it between the posted Call of Pripyat sessions, I just hadn't gotten around releasing all the episodes yet. Here are they now!

I continue from the rooftop encounter that lead to a crash last time. This time I know which effects to avoid, and the fighting part goes considerably better as well (tranq darts FTW).




Continuing on the museum rooftop, I run into flocks of new enemies.




This is the point where our kind museum guard flips out and attacks us, and we pick up another crew member soon after. (I read later that the crew-flip is avoidable - but I'd played so much past that point that I decided to carry on with the already made choices.)




I call the new arrival "Vova" (despite his real name), and immediately put him to work when we have to fight our way out of the museum.







Just when I thought things were starting to go well, one of the crew is Killed by the Plot [TM]. I show that I care by rolling back a save and making sure that we get to keep most of her gear. We also find some shiny new toys in an underground parking lot.




When I go about exploring the town, there are encounters and new enemies practically on every corner.








After taking a break (the non-stop encounters started to get a tad overwhelming) I carry on in a new session. All the encounter management and prioritizing includes choosing between new mutants, shady mercenaries, and an occasional boss fight.












Somewhere along the line we've picked up a rocket launcher - which turns out to be the key to getting into the hotel.




The hotel, in turn, turns out to be the access point to the super secret lab we'd been looking for. In the basement we run into a tentacle mutant whom we don't seem to be able to harm at all.







After another frustration-fuelled break, I continue tackling the tentacles, and eventually discover a not-so-obvious one-tile hitbox. I decide to save ammo, and send the guys in with hatchets and knives. Once past the tentacle bugger, a whole bigger lab area opens up. Onward!





Inside the Big Secret Underground Lab more encounters await. The opponents themselves are quite manageable, but I need to watch out for game-crashing effects.




We're getting close, which means the game throws some invisible enemies, twisty twists, and lengthy exposition on our way to hinder progress. After a bit of trial and error we take down the Big Boss - and the game abruptly ends.